Convertible-car.



No. 698,259.: 7 Patented Apr. 22,1902.

' v H. w. COVERT.

CONVERTIBLE BAR. (Application filed Jan. 7, 1902.] I (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet FEL nu: uonms PETERS cm. Mum-munwuamamn, n c.

- N0.'698,259. I 7 Paientsd Apr. 22, I902.

H. COVERT. v

CONVERTIBLE BAR. (Application mm Jan. 7, 1902 (No Modelj V 2 Shets-Sheet 2.

UNIT D STATES nanny w. OQYERT, ,orgw TERF-om, NEW "YORK. f I

'eoNv zRTiB LEcAR- srncrrrearron formingpart of LettersPatentlNo.698,259, datedpril22,19 02. p

Application filsddanuary7 1902-: erialK0188 732- cumin.) 7

To aZZ whom/it may c0nce13n.=' a

-Be itknown that I, HENRY W. .COVE R'l,.3.

4 citizen of the United States,'residin g at ater.-

ford, county of Saratoga, and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Convertible Cars, of which thefollowing is a specification. j a

tion and combination of p'artshereinafter described and subsequently claimed.

. in the car.

Reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, and the reference charactersmarked'thereon which o m al-tier this specification. v v

Similar characters referto similar parts in the several figures.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a view in crosssection of a convertible car embodying my invention, the left-handside being shown closed and the right ha'nd side open. Fig, 2 is a View in side elevation of a port-ion ofthe' T same. Fig.3 isa-view in cross-section of-one'of the upright side members, takenon .thebroken lineg3 3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a similar view taken on the broken 1ine4 4 in Fig. 1.0 Fig. 5 is a similar view taken on the broken line 5 5 in Fig. l. Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-sec tion of one of the panels removed. Fig. '17 is. a view. similar to Fig. 1, partly broken away and showing a modified form of construction.

Fig. 8-is 'a side view, partly broken away, of the lower panel as shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a :horizontal cross-section of the upright side member shown in Fig. 7, taken through the cut-away portion 30. Y

The principal object of my invention is to simplify the construction'of convertible cars and to facilitate the raising and disposition when raised-of the movable side panels adapted when lowered to close the side openings 1 represents the floor, and'2 thereof, ofithe ear, and 3 the upright side members connecting the roof and floor and between Which are located the side entrances com mon to suma longitudinal groove 4: and at the upper'end withya pocket. 5, communicating withsaid L Y groove and forming a downward and lateral extensionthereof. Thispoeketisprel erably V the side members;{lfhesepanelsr may be of a size adapted to I'GCGlVQEt plurality-of panels supported th erein sideby sideinthe' 5 5 position shown atthe'ri'ghthand side of Fig.1; Y 1","thebottom of 'saidpocket'beingpreferably downwardly and outwardly inclined, sothat "said panels are maintained by gravity in; the outer'portion of the pocket. IA-plurality of 60 panels are en1ployed, which may belotany desired construction,the-panels 6 dbeing 71,, I 'opaque,whilethe'panels77'are'glazed. Four of these panels, two'opaqne and twoglazed, are'employed-for eaeh' side opening,and they 65 are adapted to rest o-ne'uponanotherin the 1 grooves 4 inthe uprightsi'demembers adja- '2 cent said openingstoclose the space between- .rais'edanddeflected' into the-pocketj5 inanyknown manner. Y E3 I l have shown. the upperand lower edges of the several panels ;jpro vided:wi th Iinclined portions 9, '(showhmore particularlyin Fig; j 6,) the angle of inclination of said portions q being similar to that of thp bottom of the pocket and such that whenia lo'wer'p'anel is raised the upper panelJor-panels'supported. thereby will be also rai'seduntil-the lower l. Y edge of an upper panel reaehesthe lower edge .80 of thepocket 5, whereupon said upper panel will-be automatically deflected intosaid pocket by means of the inclined surfaces 9, and-in like manner each of several upper f panels will be successively deflected into theI8'5 pocket by the raisingofa single supporting 1. I lower paneL' n v For the purpose of preventing rattling or) accidental displacement'of the raised panels Y R I provide ayielding keeper'therefor,iprefer I ably having 'a surface inclined-parallelwiththe bottom of thepocketandadapted to en} gage the upper edges 'o fthe severalpanels when raised; As shown-in Fig.1, thekeep'er comprises a slide-rod10,?mova ble 'in aj'sli'deway 11in the side member- 3 and'}provided with a hook-shaped end 12, projecting into The panel-en gaging suriiace of the keeper and the bottom of the pocket being similarly inclined, it will be seen that whatever the number of panels located in the pocket at any time they will be firmly supported in the oppositelylocated angles of the keeper and pocket-bottom. The keeper may be of any known form. I

13 is a roller-curtain, and ll a slidewaygroove therefor, which may be constructed to operate in the usual manner.

The car may, if desired, be provided with a ceiling 15.

One or more of the panels may be lowered, as desired, to close or partly close the side openings of the car.

As a means for guarding the side opening when the panels are raised I have shown a guard-rail 1G, hinged at 17 to the upright member at one side of a side opening, said member being provided with a groove 18, adapted to receive said rail when raised in the position shown at the left-hand side of Fig. 1. This guard-rail may be connected with the side member and supported thereby in a raised position in any known manner.

The upright side member on the opposite side of the side opening is provided with a lug or stop 19, adapted to support the swinging end of the guard-rail when the same is lowered to a horizontal position to form a guard for the side opening, as shown in Fig. 2. This rail also serves as an arm-rest.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a modified form of construction, wherein the pocket 20 is inclined inwardly toward the top of the car, the groove 21 in the side member 22 being widened, as shown at 23, near the lower end of the pocket to facilitate the deflection of the panels into the pocket. The keeper 24 is shown in the form of a lever pivoted at 25 and provided with an actuating-spring 26.

In some cases it is desirable to have the lower portion of the car-body contracted in width, in which case the lower ends of the side members are inclined inwardly toward the bottom of the car. I have shown such construction in Fig. '7, the lower end of the groove 21 changing direction in accordance with the change in direction of the side member. W'ith such a construction I make the bottom panel 27, which occupies the inclined portion of the groove when lowered, of less width than the other panels and provide the same at its corners with pintles 28, adapted to run in the grooves 21. The width of the body of the panel is, however, left greater than the distance between neighboring upright side members 22, so that the body of the panel is adapted to bear against the outer flanges 20 on the side members.

The side members are cut away at 30 to permit the inward movement therebetween of the contracted body of the panel as the same passes the bend in the groove 21.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a convertible car, the combination with the car-body, having members adjacent into said pocket and adapted to rest therein,

and a yielding keeper for retaining the panel in the pocket, substantially as described.

3. In a convertible car, the combination with the car-body having members adjacent a side opening each provided with a slidewaygroove and at the upper end with a laterallyextended pocket having an outwardly and downwardly inclined bottom and adapted to receive a plurality of panels, side by side; of a plurality of panels movable along grooves in said members and adapted to be supported side by side in said pocket, substantially as described.

4.. In a convertible car, the combination with a car-body having members adjacent a side opening each provided with a slidewaygroove and at the upper end with a laterallyextended pocket communicating with said groove and adapted to receive a plurality of panels side by side; of a plurality of panels movable along said grooves and adapted to rest therein one upon another,said panels having contiguous edge portions inclined downwardly toward the side adjacent said pocket whereby the upper panel can be lifted by means of a lower panel and deflected into said pocket, substantially as described.

5. In a convertible car, the combination with the car-body having members'adjacent a side opening each provided with a slideway groove, and at the upper end with a laterallyextended pocket having an outwardly and downwardly inclined bottom communicating with said groove and adapted to receive a plurality of panels side by side; of a plural-' ity of panels movable along said grooves and adapted to rest therein one upon another; said panels having contiguous edge portions inclined similarly to the inclined bottom of said pocket, substantially as described.

6. In a convertible car, the combination with the car-body having members adjacent a side opening each provided with a slidewaygroove and at the.upper end with a laterallyeXtended pocket communicating with said groove and adapted to receive a plurality of panels side by side; of a plurality of panels movable along said grooves and adapted to rest therein one .upon 2.l10bll61,SEtld panels having contiguous edge portions inclined downwardly toward the side adjacent said pocket whereby the upper panel can be lifted by meansofa lowerpanel and deflected into said pocket; and a'yielding keeper for retaining the'panel's side by side in the pocket, substantially asdescribed. v

7. In a convertible car, the combination with the car-body having members adjacent a side opening each provided with a slidewaygroove, and at the upperend with a laterallyextended. pocket having an outwardly and downwardly inclined bottom communicating with said groove and adapted to receive a plurality of panels side by side; of a plurality of panels movablealong said grooves and adapted to rest therein one upon another;

said panels having contiguous edge portions inclined similarly to the inclined bottom oi said pocket, and a yielding keeper for the panels having a surface parallel with the inclined bottom of said pocket and adapted to engage the inclined upper edges of said panels when raised, substantially as described; A

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 2d day of January, 1902.

Witnesses:

FRANK 0. OURrIs, GEO. A. MOSHER.

. H. w. GOVEBT; f 

